The invention relates to a submarine explosive cable cutter towed by a cable and adapted to cut the anchoring chains or steel cables of sea mines in a mine sweeping operation. The cable cutter includes a gripper body which has a stabilizing float and a gripper mouth adapted to catch an anchoring chain in a mine sweeping operation. At the throat of the gripper mouth there is mounted a pressure-actuated release plate which is operatively connected to an ignition needle via a plurality of safety means. The ignition needle is adapted to detonate an explosive charge mounted in the housing of the device for cutting the anchoring cable or chain of a sea mine.
The known submarine explosive cable cutting devices have the common drawback that, in the event the device does not detonate, i.e., it is a dud, the device is hauled on board of a mine sweeping vessel in a condition whereby all of the safety means are released, that is a body representing a life bomb is hauled aboard. For example, if the device is inadvertently, forceably impacted while being hauled aboard the mine sweeping vessel, which occurs not too infrequently, the igniting means of the submarine explosive cable cutter may be unintentionally released.
A further drawback resides in the arrangement of the igniting means and the explosive charge laterally from the towing cable. This arrangement causes the incoming anchor chain to be disposed a considerable distance from the towing cable, which causes a large twisting moment to be imparted on the gripper body. Due to such an arrangement there frequently occurs a malfunctioning of the igniting means, and damage or even rupture of the gripper body itself.
There is disclosed, on the other hand, a cable cutting device in German published patent application No. 1 949 389 wherein the ignition and cable cutting means are combined with the stabilizing float by connecting means. The latter means are, due to the recoil which occurs upon igniting the explosive charge, subject to be ruptured and to release the cable cutting means. Here too there can occur a recoil even when the ignition does not occur, so that in this case also the cable cutting device can be transported on board of the mine sweeping vessel with some or all of its safety means in a released condition.